He wants to distract from his war: Zohran Mamdani hits back at Trump as verbal clash escalates
New York: The political showdown between U.S. President Donald Trump and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani intensified on Wednesday, with Mamdani hitting back hard in a video that's now going viral across social media platforms.
The 33-year-old Democratic nominee accused President Trump of targeting him in order to divert public attention from his ongoing military conflict. "Yesterday, Donald Trump said that I should be arrested, that I should be deported, that I should be de-naturalised," Mamdani said in the video. “He said those things about me — someone who stands to be the first immigrant mayor of this city in generations, the first Muslim and the first South Asian mayor in New York’s history.”
“It’s less about who I am and more about what I fight for,” he continued. “He wants to distract the nation from the issues I represent — the struggles of working-class people who’ve been priced out of this city.”
Mamdani, a New York State Assembly member and democratic socialist, shot to national prominence after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. He has become a key target for Republicans, especially after vowing to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in New York.
President Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, called Mamdani a “Communist Lunatic” and claimed he would prevent him from “destroying” the city. “I hold all the levers and have all the cards,” Trump wrote. “I’ll save New York City and make it 'Hot' and 'Great' again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!”
In his rebuttal, Mamdani criticized Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” describing it as legislation that “will steal food from the hungry” and deepen economic inequality. “This bill is yet another massive wealth transfer, just like we saw during his first term,” he said.
The verbal duel comes amid rising tensions in the national political landscape, with Mamdani positioning himself as a progressive voice for marginalized communities. “I fight for working people,” he said. “I fight for the same people Trump once claimed he would help — but instead, he has betrayed them.”
Born in Uganda to renowned Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair and Indo-Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran Mamdani made history as the first South Asian and Ugandan-born person to serve in the New York State Assembly. He is only the third Muslim ever elected to the body.
As the 2025 New York mayoral race heats up, the confrontation between Mamdani and Trump is fast becoming a defining flashpoint in the national debate over immigration, economic justice, and the future of American cities.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
